Townie commute vs. Raleigh retroglide
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Townie commute vs. Raleigh retroglide
on vacation last month, we rented electric bikes. Now I must have one. I can’t remener the last time I was able to ride so far, for so long, have so much fun and not hurt.
I currently have an electra townie 21 and LOVE it. The electric bike we rented was amazing, but didn’t hold a candle comfortwise to my townie, with the obvious exception of the electric assist. So, of course in my shopping I am considering the townie commute. I rode it and it’s amazing.
Then we wrent to anotjer local bike store, to look at other options. The nice gentleman heard what I was looking for, and what the townie commute offers he said “that sounds like a great deal, I would buy that one”. As we talked a little more I saw a 2017 Raleigh Retroglide off in a corner. It is slightly smaller frame than the townie, and they had it marked for 1/3 the price of the Townie.
Any comments, experience or thoughts about the townie commute or the retroglide would be greatly appreciated,
I currently have an electra townie 21 and LOVE it. The electric bike we rented was amazing, but didn’t hold a candle comfortwise to my townie, with the obvious exception of the electric assist. So, of course in my shopping I am considering the townie commute. I rode it and it’s amazing.
Then we wrent to anotjer local bike store, to look at other options. The nice gentleman heard what I was looking for, and what the townie commute offers he said “that sounds like a great deal, I would buy that one”. As we talked a little more I saw a 2017 Raleigh Retroglide off in a corner. It is slightly smaller frame than the townie, and they had it marked for 1/3 the price of the Townie.
Any comments, experience or thoughts about the townie commute or the retroglide would be greatly appreciated,
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If it's a 2017 model make sure you ride it enough to decide whether the extra weight of the battery on the rear rack isn't a deal killer. For me, this "tail wagging the dog" feature contributes detrimentally to the ride characteristics, but to be fair I've never ridden this bike.
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+++++
You can a hub motor wheel for ~ $200- now (gone up considerably in the last 3 months) and a battery for ~ $300 to much much more depending on how far you want to go. Amazon and eBay are good sources for lower cost units.
I have a 36V 500W front hub motor on my 1992 Trek 950 with a 36V 13Ah Li battery; it will go 28mph with minimal pedaling for more than 10 miles; and much much further at lower speeds and/or with more rider contribution (pedaling).